"Authenticated electricity" seems to be rubbing people the wrong way.I think there's some misunderstanding here. It doesn't imply that you will be sending Sony money every time you charge your PSP. It means that instead of paying for power on a per site basis, we could be paying on a per person or device basis.

If I have a billing account for electricity to my home (most people do) I could bill to that same account when plugging in my electric car at a parking lot; presumably at a fair rate that might also include the parking fee. Instead of making this just about cars, they extend the idea to allowing all devices drawing power to be identified and logged. So you really can compare when your new refrigerator just paid for itself, or even when portable items, like the hairdryer shown, or your laptop, are actively saving you money compared to the older devices they replaced. You already pay for power, with something like this you could break down the uses, and remotely manage them.

The final idea of setting up limits to power use, or turning off certain types of devices, seems to be the idea that concerns people. If turning off all the TV and Set Top Boxes allowed a city to avert a black out while maintaining everyone's essential light, cooling or heating then I could see that being useful; similar to a city enforcing a ban on non-commercial traffic based on high Ozone readings.

On a personal level, you could manage your own power use, putting certain devices that are normally always on, onto a more reasonable schedule. Do you record daytime or late-night TV with your DVR? [not me] Why not have it power down during the work day and after 3am. Do you forget to turn off your stereo after watching a movie or playing games, it could be set to turn off regardless around the same schedule. What if the management system were able to respond to events? E.G. When your mobile phone is near your garage or in it, the lights and ventilation could be on, and after you leave with your phone it could conserve power again.﻿